Chapters 7 and 8 Summary

In Chapter 7, Sasha is afraid to go outside. It's dark and cold. He thinks about sleeping on the kitchen floor. There is a stove there to make the room warm. After his mother died, they got a small stove for their room. Sasha decides to stay in the kitchen until his father returns. He is sure that Stalin will be upset and that his father was arrested by mistake. Sasha worries that it could be days before Stalin finds out. He decides he must tell Stalin himself.

In Chapter 8, while it's still dark, Sasha walks through the snow across Red Square toward the Kremlin. He imagines his meeting with Stalin. As soon as he hears that his father was arrested, Stalin will pick up the phone and order his release. But the guards spot Sasha and chase him away.